Students help improve the lives of children at the Bokang creche

One of the organisations chosen for the service learning project of the third-year medical students was the Bokang crèche, which is situated in Phase 2 near Bloemfontein. Mrs Suzan Matlabe and her husband, Dennis, a pastor, manage this little school.

Suzan, a teacher, decided to start with this crèche when she saw how many children did not have a place to stay while their parents were at work. The children were just walking around in the streets.

In 1997 Suzan started with this crèche at their church so that children could have a safe place where they could also receive teaching. The crèche was later moved to their backyard. Today Bokang serves 69 children between the years of two and six years.

The students saw that there was only one toilet in the building and that most of the children used the pots outside the classroom. They thought that providing proper toilets for the children was important and with the help of a supplier of building material, two toilets were given to the school.

Another supplier supplied the wash basins, and the father of one of the children provided the tiles.

"We are very happy that the children now have proper toilets with running water, because the first step to good health is good hygiene", said the students.